They are simply the best basketball program in the Tidewater-A District. None can compare to the Drifter varsity basketball program, especially after they closed out their two-year tenure by pounding West Point and Mathews in the District tournament on Saturday night. Before a raucous pro-Drifter crowd, in the unfriendly confines of King William High School, the Drifters celebrated their victory over Mathews in center court with hardware associated with championship crown. Reflecting on his team’s performance, Drifter boys’ varsity head coach Steve Swope said, “This was a great finish. Our team is running on high octane right now—and we hope to take it up a notch when the Regions start next week [home, Wednesday]." Tidewater District Semi-Finals CB 75 – West Point 38 The Drifters jumped on the Pointers early in the first quarter, building a 22-10 lead and then blew the game open as it progressed. Combined with fast-breaks and speed, the Drifters ran away with the game by extending their lead to 15 at halftime, 21 at the end of the third period and 37 by the end of the game. Senior, point guard and area leading scorer, TT Carey had a banner night as he scored 28 points [12-24, 50%]. He also pulled down 10 rebounds, dished out six assists, deflected 12 passes and produced seven steals. Junior, point-forward, Dylan Farinet added another dose of doom against the Pointers as he scored a total of 23 points. In addition, he pulled down 13 rebounds, distributed seven assists, deflected five passes, and stole five passes on defense. Senior, forward Jamel Dickerson also had a hot hand against the Pointers. He scored 11 points [5-6, 83%] and produced three steals. Other Drifter stats include: Thomas Peery – 5 points, 2 assists; Kevin Swope – 3-pointers, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals; Paul Roberson – 7 rebounds; Jeryl Dickerson – 4 points, 4 rebounds, 4 deflections, 2 steals. Tidewater District Championship, at King William High School CB 96 – Mathews 47 The Drifters approached the District championship game expecting a dog-fight, but finished the game dominating Mathews in every facet of the game-crushing Mathews into submission. The “Black & Gold” jumped out to a 6-0 lead, but saw Mathews rally back to take the lead at 7-6, early in the contest. The Mathews lead was momentary, as the Drifters regained their traditional swagger by extending their lead to 24-15 after one quarter. As the game continued, the Drifters were relentless, as they built a 48-26 halftime lead, before dismantling the Blue Devils in the second half. After the game, coach Swope complimented his team on their ability to score consistently throughout the game. “This is by far the greatest margin of victory in a tournament championship, in the history of our school.” Eight out of the ten man Drifter roster scored, while all 10 contributed at least one rebound or more for the night. As a team, the Beach shot 47% from the field, while out-rebounding their opponents 43-34. They also distributed 27 team assists, forced a season high 50 turnovers to create a plus 40 on the floor game and scored 15 three-pointers as a team. District MVP TT Carey led the charge with 32 points [14-25, 56%]; three over his season’s average. He produced a triple-double as he ripped down 10 rebounds, deflected 14 passes, stole seven passes and issued 10 assists. District, unanimous first-team selection, Dylan Farinet added 18 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for a second Drifter to produce a triple-double in the same game. He also picked up seven steals and seven deflections. Thomas Peery, Dylan Farinet and Kevin Swope all buried four 3-pointers apiece against the Blue Devil defense, that appeared to be physically and mentally drained. Jeryl Dickerson scored four of five shots [80%] for 8 points. He also pulled down 10 rebounds. Alex Gorfida added four points and four rebounds. Joe Slater nailed a three-pointer and finished with five points and two rebounds. Jamel Dickerson scored a three-pointer and produced three steals. As they prepare for more post season play and their winter 2009-2010 schedule in the Northern Neck District, the Drifters leave a legacy of success. They finish atop the Tidewater in first place with a 12-0 undefeated record, and 21-3 overall. Their current win streak has been extended to 11 games. As for the Regional championship post season, the Beach has officially locked in the number one seed in Region A. They will host two games at the Drifterdome this week if they survive and advance. The first Region A game is scheduled for Wednesday, February 25, at home versus number eight seed Charles City, starting at 7:00 p.m. If the Drifters win, they will host the number four seeded Surry versus number five seeded Mathews winner on Friday, February 27. If they continue to win, they will travel to Surry County on Saturday, February 28 to play in the Regional championship game, starting at 8:00 p.m. Come one, come all to the Drifterdome this week to catch the red-hot Drifters put excitement in the air. Attention fans! If the Drifters win on Wednesday, there will be another white-out for Friday night’s game. Wear white shirts or purchase white-out T-shirts at the game.

Find photos from the West Point and Mathews games at The Journal's Photo Gallery.

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